Bobest watson



Jan. 28, 1930. R. WATSON MEANS FOR INDICATING TRAFFIC DELAYS 0F AUTOMOBILES OriginalFiled Feb. 26, 1925 Patented Jan. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ROBERT WATSON, OF ROSSLYN, VIRGINIA MEANS FOR, INDICATING TRAFFIC DELAYS OF AUTOMOBILES Application filed February 26, 1925, Serial No. 11,864. Renewed June 27, 1929.

This invention relates to means for indicating the time during which a commercial vehicle, operated by an internal combustion engine, may be delayed by tra'liic, or at crossings, during the course of trip, or a working day, or any period of time. In my prior Patent No. 1,41%,910, T have shown means for indicating the stopping, idling and working times of automobile engines, in which there is a single indicator for the idling time.

In the present invention, 1 provide two indicators for indicating the idling time of the engine, one of which starts automatically into operation whenever the engine starts to idle. In order to distinguish between the needless idling and the necessary idling, as when the vehicle is delayed by the traflic, I provide manually operable means for stopping the latter indicator and for causing the other indicator to operate so long as the driveris in the vehicle and follows instruc tions by bearing upon this manually operable device. If he does not follow instructions, then the indicator which is automatically started when the engine starts to idle will register needless idling which will be charged against him and negative any claim that he may make as to being held up by the traffic during the time indicated on the last mentioned indicator.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention is illustrated diagrammatically.

Referring to the drawing, a indicates an internal combustion engine such as is com- 5 monly employed for operating automobiles, and 1 indicates the propeller shaft of a vehicle which shaft is connected to and disconnected from the engine by a clutch contained in a housing 2. The governor of a centrifugal speedometer is indicated at 3, connected to the propeller shaft 1 by a flexible shatt l, in the usual manner. A normally expanded bellows 5 is connected directly or indirectly to the intake pipe of the engine by tubing 6. lVhen the engine starts, the suction of the engine causes the bellows 5 to collapse and close a switch 8, and this switch remains closed as long as the engine is in operation. This switch comprises a contact 9 member 7, normally held out of engagement with contacts 8 and 9, but adapted to bridge said contacts when the bellows is collapsed. A switch 8, comprising a centrally pivoted lever 10 and a stationary contact 11, is held closed by the pressure of the governor against one end of the lever, when the vehicle is stopped. When the vehicle starts, the weight of the governor is taken from the lever and a spring 12 then moves the switch to open position.

Two time-indicating devices marked 23 and i and conventionally indicated as electrically controlled or operated clocks which operate only when the current is turned on, are provided, and the circuits and switches are arranged so that one or the other of these indicators will operate as long as the engine is idling, but when the engine is driving the vehicle, or stopped, neither of the indicators will operate. A battery is indicated at b and one side of the battery is grounded on the frame of the vehicle, as indicated at 9. From the other side of the battery a conductor 13 extends through a key-controlled switch 14 to the contact 8 of switch 8, and from contact 9 of said switch a conductor 15 leads to the pivoted arm 16 of a push button switch 9. This arm is normally held against a stationary contact 17 by a spring 18. A conductor 19 extends from the contact 17 through the coil of the magnet in the indicator 2', and thence to conductor 20 which is connected to the contact 11 of the switch .9. The switch arm 10 normally engages this contact and this arm is grounded, as indicated at g by conductor 21.

The push button switch has a stationary contact 22 which is connected by conductor 23 through the coil of the magnet of the indicator 25 to the conductor 20, and thence to the stationary contact 11 of the switch .9.

The operation of the indicators is as follows: When the vehicle and engine are both stopped, the switch 8 is open and the switch 8 is closed. hen the engine starts, without its load, the suction of the engine causes the switch 8 to close and this completes a circuit from the battery through the lever 16 and contact 17 of the push button switch, thence through the indicator 1', and through the switch 8 to ground, and thence through the frame of the machine back to the battery. The indicator 2' will thus be automatically started into operation whenever the engine starts to idle. It the vehicle is started, the governor of the speedometer will release the switch 8 and this will break the circuit through the indicator 2' and the latter will stop and remain stopped as long as the vehicle is running. When the vehicle comes to a stop, the governor will settle down on the switch lever 10, closing the switch 8, and the indicator 2' will again start into operation. If the engine isnow stopped, the suction will cease and the switch 8 will open, interrupting the circuit through the indicator 2', and the latter will stop. Thus, the indicator 71 will automatically be started into operation whenever the engine starts to idle, and if the operator should allow the engine to idle needlessly, as by leaving the vehicle with the engine running, this indicator will indicate the total time that the engine is allowed to idle needlessly.

In the operation of automobiles in city traffic, the automobile is frequently held up by the trahic, at crossings, and elsewhere, and for the purpose of indicating the time when the vehicle is so delayed, with the engine running, the indicator t is provided. When the operator is delayed by the trafiic, if he will press the push button 39 inwardly so that the lever 16 will move from the contact 17 into engagement with the contact 22, the circuit through the indicator '5 will be broken and the circuit through the indicator 6 will be completed, and the former will stop while the latter will be started into operation, and will continue in operation as long as the push button is depressed and the engine idles. Thus, if the driver is instructed to press upon the push button during the periods when the vehicle is stopped by the traffic, and obeys the instructions, the indicator t will show how long his vehicle has been delayed by the traific. If he neglects to press the push button switch, the indicator 2' will operate and the time registered onthis indicator will be charged against him as needless idling. If the driver obeys instructions, the time registered on the indicator 6 should be very small, during the course of a day, say five or ten minutes, while the indicator 25 will show the total time that the vehicle is held up by the traflic.

The push button switch may be conveniently located in a socket on the underside of the steering wheel, where it is accessible to the operator or it may be located in any convenient place where the operator may, or must, without leaving his seat, apply force to the switch to close it. It is to be noted that the indicators cannot be made operative, except when the engine is idling, and that only by some manual operation, requiring the presence of the operator, can the indicator 2, be caused to operate.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, or" two time indicators, normally inoperative, means for automatically causing one of said indicators to operate when the engine starts to idle, and manually controlled means for stopping the latter indicator and for causing the operation of the other indicator while the engine is idling.

2. The combination with a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine, of means for indicating traflic delays of the vehicle comprising a time indicator, normally stopped, and combined automatic and manual means for causing the operation of saidindicator while the motor is idling, said automatic means operated by the motor and vehicle and said manual means being biased toward its inoperative position and requiring the constant application of force to maintain it in its operative position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiX my signature.

ROBERT lVATSON. 

